Consider the following statements regarding the Speaker of the Lok Sabha: (a) He/she can be removed only by a resolution passed by the Lok Sabha by a majority of the members present and voting. (b) He/she is placed at fifth rank, along with the Deputy Prime Minister. (c) The motion of removal can be considered and discussed only when it has the support of at least one-tenth of the total strength of the House Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Correct Answer None of the above The correct answer is None of the above. Important Points Speaker of Lok Sabha : Election and Tenure ​The Speaker is elected by the Lok Sabha from amongst its members (as soon as may be, after its first sitting). Whenever the office of the Speaker falls vacant, the Lok Sabha elects another member to fill the vacancy. The date of the election of the Speaker is fixed by the President. Usually, the Speaker remains in office during the life of the Lok Sabha. However, S/he has to vacate his office earlier in any of the following three cases: 1. if he ceases to be a member of the Lok Sabha; 2. if he resigns by writing to the Deputy Speaker; and 3. if he is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the members of the Lok Sabha. Such a resolution can be moved only after giving 14 days’ advance notice. When a resolution for the removal of the Speaker is under consideration of the House, he cannot preside at the sitting of the House, though he may be present. However, he can speak and take part in the proceedings of the House at such a time and vote in the first instance, though not in the case of an equality of votes. It should be noted here that, whenever the Lok Sabha is dissolved, the Speaker does not vacate his office and continues till the newly-elected Lok Sabha meets. Role, Powers and Functions ​The Speaker is the head of the Lok Sabha and its representative. He is the guardian of powers and privileges of the members, the House as a whole and its committees. He is the principal spokesman of the House, and his decision in all Parliamentary matters is final. He is thus much more than merely the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha. In these capacities, he is vested with vast, varied and vital responsibilities and enjoys great honour, high dignity and supreme authority within the House. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha derives his powers and duties from three sources, that is, the Constitution of India, the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Lok Sabha, and Parliamentary Conventions (residuary powers that are unwritten or unspecified in the Rules). Powers and Duties : He maintains order and decorum in the House for conducting its business and regulating its proceedings. This is his primary responsibility and he has final power in this regard. He is the final interpreter of the provisions of the Constitution of India, the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Lok Sabha, and the parliamentary precedents, within the House. He adjourns the House or suspends the meeting in absence of a quorum. The quorum to constitute a meeting of the House is one-tenth of the total strength of the House. He does not vote in the first instance. But he can exercise a casting vote in the case of a tie. In other words, only when the House is divided equally on any question, the Speaker is entitled to vote. Such a vote is called casting vote, and its purpose is to resolve a deadlock. He presides over a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament. Such a sitting is summoned by the President to settle a deadlock between the two Houses on a bill. He can allow a ‘secret’ sitting of the House at the request of the Leader of the House. When the House sits in secret, no stranger can be present in the chamber, lobby or galleries except with the permission of the Speaker. He decides whether a bill is a money bill or not and his decision on this question is final. When a money bill is transmitted to the Rajya Sabha for recommendation and presented to the President for assent, the Speaker endorses on the bill his certificate that it is a money bill. He decides the questions of disqualification of a member of the Lok Sabha, arising on the ground of defection under the provisions of the Tenth Schedule. Independence and Impartiality ​As the office of the Speaker is vested with great prestige, position and authority, independence and impartiality become its sine qua non. He/she is placed at sixth rank, along with the Chief Justice of India. Hence, statement b is not correct. He is provided with security of tenure. He can be removed only by a resolution passed by the Lok Sabha by a special majority (ie, a majority of all the then members of the House) and not by an ordinary majority (ie, a majority of the members present and voting in the House). Hence, statement a is not correct. This motion of removal can be considered and discussed only when it has the support of at least 50 members. Hence, statement c is not correct.